Acura Promises Its NSX Supercar Is Coming Soon
The new mid-engined sports car is delayed until next spring.
Acura announced an uncharacteristically aggressive timetable for rolling out its new NSX when it unveiled the car at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January. Corporate parent Honda is famously conservative in its pronouncements regarding upcoming models, but Acura put a stake in the ground at the auto show, where then-general manager Mike Accavitti promised, “This summer, customers will be able to go online and build their dream NSX and submit an order to a dealer. We also will be conducting media drives, with the production start-up beginning at the [factory] this fall, and the first customer deliveries planned for later this year.”
Scratch that. On Thursday, spokesman Chris Naughton now acknowledges that the company is “expecting deliveries in spring 2016.”
This comes as no surprise to anyone who saw the car’s auto show introduction. Right before Accavitti promised delivery this fall, the car’s chief engineer explained that Acura decided to switch the NSX from an economy car-style transverse engine installation to a racecar-style longitudinal orientation.
While that is great news for NSX fans hoping for the best possible car, the company admitted that the change was made just last August. That span of five months is a blink of an eye in automotive development time, making the likelihood of production cars arrive just a year after a virtual heart transplant seem wildly optimistic at best.
Now, reality has set in, but the change was one worth waiting for. “We’re taking final steps to ensure we’re delivering the absolute best vehicle and customer experience possible,” Naughton said.
The company promises that the new twin-turbo V6 with hybrid electric motor assist will deliver a track driving experience unlike anything outside a Formula One car. Once it is finally ready, the NSX should be amazing.
Photos by American Honda Motor Co.
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